Anyone Remember When

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Anyone remember when many professions had moral and appearance (most often tied together) guidelines for hiring and maintaining employees?

Today it can be difficult to tell the teacher or nurse from someone who just wondered in the door after waking up in an alley.

Tattoos, often vulgar and/or disgusting showing from various parts of their body. (Which some of those body parts showing with tattoos once weren't acceptable to be showing in these professions either!)

Often their speech and word usage mirrors their unkempt dress style and "bad part of town" looks and mannerisms.

This sort of thing has infiltrated churches too. Pastors, deacons, board members and the congregation proudly sporting their tattoos, piercings, odd hair styles and colors, unkempt dress, ghetto or gutter mannerisms. Sometimes these things are even held up as examples of Christian love, outreach, acceptance, growth. The congregation cheers for their pastors new, tiny cross tattoo below his eye inside a teardrop. The youth pastor sports a fancy looking cross tattoo on his forearm and speaks of how it opens doors to sharing the Gospel with younger folks.

Whatever happened to what was once called professionalism? Whatever happened to standards of deportment? Whatever happened to the expectation of certain professions holding to higher qualification standards?

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I was shocked when I was invited to view an online debate recently on YouTube. A ROBert Skynner debating with a man that calls himself "Pastor Ace" Pastor Ace James sports tattoos and an earring in both ears. Searching for info on him, I came across his google plus page. There, I find he is a member of the Royal Arch Masons and proudly announces that fact via many pictures.

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There is a youth pastor in the area who has a partial Mohawk (or whatever it's called; his hair is mostly short but with it being slightly longer down the middle area in Mohawk fashion) with the Mohawk portion some odd shade of coloring. He sports a modernist style goatee, has "Christian tattoos" (ever notice how most often when Christians have cross tattoos they are of an ornate nature, often more in the style of offshoot "christian' groups?) and he dresses not at all like respectable adult, let alone a church representative of Christ.

Several younger women in my family work in hospitals and with Facebook it's easy to learn more about those who work in hospitals. The other day I was looking at some of their Facebook friends that work at the hospital and the sin drenched lives they live really makes me wonder why folks would put their lives in their hands.

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I don't get it all. I watched about a minute or two but can't really hear what he's saying with all the nonsense going on. Are they high? or advocating drug use? Or implying they're high on holy spirit?

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I don't know for certain (not being a predictor of the future or a judge of others actions) but there just may be an abode prepared for blasphemers of this type. Not saying him personally (since I am not privy to his personal salvation history) but just persons of his ilk. Stuff like this is bound to turn people from any idea of entertaining any thoughts of Christ as a savior.

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What was once unacceptable in many professions, including the clergy, is today not only accepted but celebrated.

I read something yesterday or earlier today about "smokin' the Holy Ghost", or something to that effect, and the author was calling upon all those in their branch or denomination (don't recall which) to denounce such ungodliness and separate from such.

That was the first I heard of such, and the above video is the second I've heard of it.

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I watched the whole video this afternoon. It is sickening. The two clowns on the ends pretty much act the same throughout the video. Rooster-Combed Rev Matthew encourages it.

The two boys give their testimony of when Jesus "whatcked" them. The sad things, no truth whatsoever. The Jesus they encountered is leading them away from the true Jesus. They have all been deceived by a lying spirit.

One day, fi they don't repent, they will get "whacked" in a manner they are not expecting.

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This is why our pastor continually tells us that when we are talking with someone and they say they believe in Jesus we need to ask them for details. There are many who believe in a false Jesus rather than the biblical Jesus. Many of these folks don't even realize that. Are they believing in some false Jesus that is all love and welcomes everyone into heaven no matter what...one who is a hippy type flower child that just wants everyone to be happy...one who was a good man who became a god...who was simply a prophet...who wants to destroy us all so we better pray to his mommy so she can calm him down...

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Why is it that most of the nurses and assistance at the hospitals are single with children, divorced with children, a high percentage smoke, nearly all of them drink booze and of those virtually all drink for the purpose of getting very drunk, they have foul mouths, dress very immodest, often sport tattoos and multiple piercings?

These are supposed to be healthcare providers and trained experts in this field yet they themselves are living destructive lifestyles.

Unfortunately, the same mentioned above applies to many public school teachers as well. Those with loose morals and destructive lifestyles are the ones entrusted to educate and train children from about 4 years old until they are 18. Then parents wonder why their children go the way of the world, often to the extreme.

I like what one elderly lady in town did after she hired someone to mow her yard. There had been a long spell of rain so mowing could get done. There came a good day of weather on a Sunday and the yard mower man showed up at this ladies house and unloaded his mower from the trailer behind his truck. The little old lady came out the door and asked the man if he knew what day it was. He replied it was Sunday. The little old lady told him "that's right, it's the Lord's day and there won't be any mowing done here on the Lord's Day!" She proceeded to tell him to put that mower back on his trailer and if he couldn't agree to mow her yard only on one of the other six days of the week she wouldn't do business with him. Then she nicely told him why the Lord's Day is important, talked to him about Jesus and told him he was welcome to come to her church.

It's nice when someone takes a stand and refuses to go along with the downward spiral.

You do not "toke" (or, smoke) God the HOLY Spirit, like weed. Being high on whatever or drunk on alcohol leads to the excesses of fleshly works. Being filled with the HOLY Spirit of God leads to the fruit of the Spirit and to a transformation of our character "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." The above is not just spiritual foolishness. It is not just false doctrine. I say it again -- It is UTTER BLASPHEMY against God the HOLY Spirit!!!

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The truly sad thing is, once someone has received a false gospel and conversion, and received a false Jesus, they aremoften taught about the terrible fundamentalists who think the Bible is something to be followed literally, and once they embrace them, its almost impossible to reach them-they have their proof texts and they will fight your 'phariseeism' tooth and nail. Once you remove their reliance upon scripture, you now have no set boundaries upon which to stand.

I have been dealing with a young lady who used to attend my church-it was years back as a teen. She ended up in foster care with a more modern Christian family out of our influence and has been immersed in pentecostalism. She speaks in tongues, has apparently no prOBlem with the 'holy laughter' and spirit drunkeness, slaying in the spirit, and so forth. She has been taught that we can't 'box in' God, that he is so awesome he can do as He pleases and we have no right to judge it. And of course, with this mindset, she rejects anything I tell her about scriptuiral testing and trying and judging. Its very sad. When I tpoke against the laughter thing, she accused me of promoting a sad, depressing Christianity, where we should walk arounf bummed out all the time. "No wonder', she said, "that people don't want to be Christians when we expect them to be sad all the time!". No discernment at all concerning what I was talking about. Yet to her, she has excellent discernment. Such she has been taught. I am praying for her to 'get it', we shall see. her name is Destinee, if anyone wants to pray for her, as well.

Its a review of a John Crowder/Benjaim Dunn CD called "Toking the Ghost", and while I believe the reviewer is charismatic, even he recommends buying it only to use as a drink coaster, and for the case to use as repair parts for another CD case.

This is what people think Christianity is, today. Its funny-one of the commentors posited the question, whether or not their assumption that the disciples were acting like drunkards on Pentecost might have brought about this weird drug-related Christianity. While another person said, No, I emphatically say, Absolutely! One false doctrine that produces false, wicked activity in the churches of God, will surely bring about worse.

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Wow. Such blasphemy! "Toking" the Holy Ghost? Like He's a drug. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - that just makes me so mad.

I, too, didn't make it past about 45 seconds. Watching two idiots pretend to be high and attribute it to the Holy Spirit, and listening to someone else pretending to be high and trying to twist scripture into accepting those two as akin to the apostles at Pentecost is just not something I want to do. Ew...It makes me angry just to type that!!!!!!! (and yes, I say pretending because they weren't high on anything but their false religion).

I have family who are charismatic. I love them dearly (although I do not love their doctrine), and I do believe they love the Lord. And you know what? I think even they would see that and say there was definitely something wrong with those three. Uke, spot-on that once they fall for this it is much harder to reach them with the truth.

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You do not "toke" (or, smoke) God the HOLY Spirit, like weed. Being high on whatever or drunk on alcohol leads to the excesses of fleshly works. Being filled with the HOLY Spirit of God leads to the fruit of the Spirit and to a transformation of our character "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." The above is not just spiritual foolishness. It is not just false doctrine. I say it again -- It is UTTER BLASPHEMY against God the HOLY Spirit!!!

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The truly sad thing is, once someone has received a false gospel and conversion, and received a false Jesus, they aremoften taught about the terrible fundamentalists who think the Bible is something to be followed literally, and once they embrace them, its almost impossible to reach them-they have their proof texts and they will fight your 'phariseeism' tooth and nail. Once you remove their reliance upon scripture, you now have no set boundaries upon which to stand.

I have been dealing with a young lady who used to attend my church-it was years back as a teen. She ended up in foster care with a more modern Christian family out of our influence and has been immersed in pentecostalism. She speaks in tongues, has apparently no prOBlem with the 'holy laughter' and spirit drunkeness, slaying in the spirit, and so forth. She has been taught that we can't 'box in' God, that he is so awesome he can do as He pleases and we have no right to judge it. And of course, with this mindset, she rejects anything I tell her about scriptuiral testing and trying and judging. Its very sad. When I tpoke against the laughter thing, she accused me of promoting a sad, depressing Christianity, where we should walk arounf bummed out all the time. "No wonder', she said, "that people don't want to be Christians when we expect them to be sad all the time!". No discernment at all concerning what I was talking about. Yet to her, she has excellent discernment. Such she has been taught. I am praying for her to 'get it', we shall see. her name is Destinee, if anyone wants to pray for her, as well.

How to reveal the spirit behind the slaying in that young lady.

Offer to attend a service she goes to. Stay behind her. Or, if you see someone else who looks like they might be "slain", step behind that person. As the person starts to fall backward, just move out of the way. Don't catch him/her. Let that person fall.

If it truly is the Spirit of God, who are we to hinder it? If it wants to knock someone on his/her back, let Him.

If it's not the Spirit, the true spirit behind the "slaying" will manifest itself in short order.

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This is why our pastor continually tells us that when we are talking with someone and they say they believe in Jesus we need to ask them for details. There are many who believe in a false Jesus rather than the biblical Jesus. Many of these folks don't even realize that. Are they believing in some false Jesus that is all love and welcomes everyone into heaven no matter what...one who is a hippy type flower child that just wants everyone to be happy...one who was a good man who became a god...who was simply a prophet...who wants to destroy us all so we better pray to his mommy so she can calm him down...

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Going back to the OP, I remember when I first realized that the professionalism was becoming a thing of the past.

I worked security at a large casino in Reno-no other jOBs to be had. One of the pit bosses, as they are called, who are like managers of each of the gaming areas, called me over, as he had something to show me. Now, these guys were supposed to be the pros-nice suits and ties, well-kept, as it were. So, he looks around and then unbuttons a few buttons on his shirt and shows me his new nipple piercing. Now, I don't knwo why he thought I would be interested in such a thing, but there it was-and we were right in the middle of the pit area, surrounded by players and such. And I thought, "How unprofessional". If he wants to do it, great, go get 'em, but keep it to yourself!

Now, everything is out there on your sleeve, as it were, for everyone to see. And if you are offended or thing its inappropriate, its YOUR fault.

Once, at work on the base where I am at now, I went to speak with the base chaplain by invitation. WHile I was waiting for him, the EEO, (Equal Employment Opportunity) lady offerred to let me sit to wait in her office.

Now, this lady KNOWS I am there to see the chaplain, and knows as well that I am a pastor. But she asks me, concerning some little statues on her table, "What do you think of my witches? (for so they depicted). And I looked at them and said, "Hm..very wicked.". Well, this wasn't the answer she was looking for apparently and informed me very seriously that I could get into a lot of trouble for being intolerant. and I informed her that my opinion was sought, not offered, and if she wasn't preapred for people to have a different view from hers, not to ask for it. I was polite, not a jerk, but there it was. Honestly, I expected to get a write-up for it, but apparently it made her think, and nothing was ever said about it. But it just goes to show, everyone wants their views to be the only views and heaven help you if you differ from theirs!

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Some people were talking about those tattoos many women get on their lower backs, often some sort of what they call tribal design. These typically are very low on the back. As they were all offering their opinions on such I mentioned that I don't care for them. Apparently I was the only one who didn't. Suddenly I was an ignorant, intolerant, old white man who shouldn't have any say anyway.

Rather ironic since all there were white, at least two were my age or a bit older, a couple others just a few years younger, the rest in their 20s or 30s. According to them, any negative view of such tattoos automatically meant I was racist (must be since the tattoo design is of non-white tribal design), I'm intolerant (I never said they weren't free to get the things, only that I don't care for them), and naturally since I disagree with them that means I'm the ignorant one, and well accusing anyone of being an "old white man" when they aren't PC is just their natural knee jerk reaction.

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Some people were talking about those tattoos many women get on their lower backs, often some sort of what they call tribal design. These typically are very low on the back. As they were all offering their opinions on such I mentioned that I don't care for them. Apparently I was the only one who didn't. Suddenly I was an ignorant, intolerant, old white man who shouldn't have any say anyway.

Rather ironic since all there were white, at least two were my age or a bit older, a couple others just a few years younger, the rest in their 20s or 30s. According to them, any negative view of such tattoos automatically meant I was racist (must be since the tattoo design is of non-white tribal design), I'm intolerant (I never said they weren't free to get the things, only that I don't care for them), and naturally since I disagree with them that means I'm the ignorant one, and well accusing anyone of being an "old white man" when they aren't PC is just their natural knee jerk reaction.

Just let them know that they are free to get their tramp stamps if they like, as it will better identify them to others for what they are. That will make you popular.

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I've mentioned this among family before and since some have such tattoos they didn't take it kindly. I've pointed out such at work and elsewhere and people really don't like hearing that.

It's interesting that they get these tattoos in a place they must be wearing very low cut jeans and a short top for them to be seen, or at least partially seen; and if someone notices them and compliments them they are all smiles and kind but if someone notices and says anything not accepting they are attacked for looking and called all sort of names.

Reminds me of when I was in an office and a well endowed woman was wearing a very immodest top and one of her coworkers told her she liked her top and she was all gushing over the compliment. Later a lady attempted to quietly point out to her that her top was revealing way to much and thought she might want to do up some buttons or the zipper or whatever it was. The woman in the immodest top was instantly furious and lashed out at the woman for looking where she shouldn't have been looking, for commenting upon her clothes, for sticking her nose in other peoples business, etc. Had I been a woman I would have come to the modest woman's support, but being a man, the subject under discussion, the location and my wife not being there, I didn't think it would be appropriate.

The point being, these people want others looking at their bodies and they purposefully dress in ways that show off parts of their bodies (whether there is a tattoo there or not). They love the compliments, the lustful stares and such but if someone dares not think their immodesty is great or their tattoos are beautiful, they are quick to lash out at them.

Sad to say, but I've witnessed similar among Christians where one Christian woman will be wearing an immodest dress but demand she be considered modestly dressed simply because she's wearing a dress. These same women lash out hatefully when a Christian lady tries to point out the immodesty. For some reason, it's becoming ever more acceptable for women to wear immodest dresses in church. For a long while now it's been acceptable for Christian women to wear immodest dresses for weddings in the church. Sometimes even exposing tattoos in places we shouldn't be able to see.

(I still can't understand why a Christian dad or groom would be agreeable to their daughter or bride wearing an immodest dress to get married in)

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I was saved in nursing school. My teacher was a born again Christian, southern Baptist. And I know she prayed for all her students. By the end of school I was only a Christian for a few months, about 1/2 dropped out so my starting class I think 12 of us actually finished. Anyway, since my only working history has been in nursing I can say that some are just an embarrassment to the rest. Wherever I worked, I was always appalled at the unprofessionalism of other nurses. You were ok if you were one of "them", the ones who partied together after work. Hungover next day they would laugh and cut up about it. Most in my later years of nursing, had tattoos. My teacher instilled in us, and was practiced in nursing school, tattoos were covered up, no jewelry other than wedding ring, no nail polish, no perfume, ironed uniforms. It stuck with me and I always tried to appear professional. The one's that smoked were always the partiers, in school and at work. Now employers can't push those standards on their nurses. Black nurses almost always had super long, bright polish nails with multiple rings. Who wants a nurse that reeks of smoke, is hungover,and is tattooed? I know I don't.